Teen hurt retrieving belongings from Bacolod house fire

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — A 14-year-old student was injured after trying to retrieve belongings from his family’s burning house in Bangga Alit, Purok Laurel, Barangay Mansilingan, on Saturday.

The Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod received the fire call at 7:25 a.m.

Fire Officer 2 Anthony Val Isansa, an arson investigator, said the fire originated in the boy’s ground-floor bedroom in the family’s two-story house.

The bedroom was an extension of the main house and had no lights.

Isansa said that, based on statements from the occupants, the boy reportedly used a candle as a source of light in his bedroom.

He said the boy may have forgotten to extinguish the candle before going to the bathroom.

The boy’s siblings alerted him to the fire, which quickly spread to the second floor of the house.

Two houses were destroyed and two others were partially damaged, all built of a mix of concrete and light materials, Isansa said.

Firefighters declared the blaze out at 7:45 a.m.

The boy suffered minor burns on his upper left arm and back.

Investigators found no indication of electrical ignition in the boy’s bedroom, with an unattended candle considered the probable cause of the fire, Isansa said.

Six families comprising 15 people were affected by the fire, which caused an estimated PHP 22,500 in damage.

Meanwhile, Bacolod Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, a House deputy speaker, visited fire victims in Purok San Jose 2, Barangay Sum-ag, on Friday.

Benitez personally gave PHP 5,000 and relief goods to each of 23 affected families.

The families were also set to receive an additional PHP 10,000 in financial assistance through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

AICS is a Department of Social Welfare and Development safety-net program that provides immediate financial, material, and other assistance to individuals and families facing crises, including disasters.

The Sept. 1 fire in Barangay Sum-ag affected 19 houses, including 14 that were destroyed, and was reportedly caused by electrical arcing.